5/28/2009

Get to know the Dark X-Men

All week long, Marvel.com will be posting dossiers of the team members of the upcoming Dark X-Men. For anyone who doesn't know the characters intimately, this is a good chance to get to know the motivations of the mutants who will soon be on Norman Osborn's payroll.

Mimic kicked things off on Tuesday. Although he has been around since the X-Men of the sixties, Mimic never got much face time in the X-books. His powers included absorbing the strengths and abilities of those he is around, which include not only mutant abilities but also intelligence and talents as well. With the powers of the original five X-Men (Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Angel, and Marvel Girl), Mimic is a formidable foe and an exciting addition to the Dark X-Men.

Wednesday brought about Cloak and Dagger, a duo that I am excited to see in action again. Their motivation for being on the team, and for working with Osborn, should be an interesting juxtaposition to that of their teammates. They are looking for redemption, and a chance to clear their names. But along the way they wonder to themselves whether what they are doing is right.

Today boasts the powers of Weapon Omega. When I first saw the cover for the Dark X-Men issue, I had wondered who that guy with the Omega symbol on his chest in the background was. Thankfully, these dossiers clears that up. Weapon Omega made his appearance back in New Avengers #16 as a fucked up dude who gained the powers of all the mutants who fell victim to M-Day, and killed thousands of people, including Alpha Flight. Since then, he spent some time with Omega Flight as retribution for his actions.

Check out Marvel.com tomorrow to see who else gets added to the list.

So far, four powerful mutants comprise the team, with four more not even mentioned. It's going to be interesting, at the least, to see what kind of trouble the Dark X-Men make for Cyclops and his X-Men. With Matt Fraction writing the project and the awesome art of Terry Dodson, Dark X-Men is proving to be a great storyline with some of my favorite characters. I can't wait to see how they pull this off and how it will impact the mutants of Marvel.

5/26/2009

What the flu does to you...

On Sunday, I woke up with a killer throat ache. I didn't pay it much mind, just figuring that my allergies and post nasal drip were acting up. Then, Monday, I went to work and got that achy feeling throughout my body and my chest felt heavy. That's when I realized the extent of my illness.

Even though I feel much better today than I did yesterday, I called out of work anyway. (I'm always looking for reasons to call out of work.) Apparently, being ill makes you watch bad movies.

It started off with Earth Girls Are Easy. It's been years since I've seen this, and I forgot how bad it was. Even though both Jim Carey and Damon Wayans are in it, their comedic genius could do nothing to save it. Probably because the film centers around Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum, and a love affair that no one could care about. I eventually turned it off, but not until the middle of Julie Brown singing "I'm a Blonde" and dancing on the beach. Terrible.

After that came Warriors of Virtue. I had almost forgotten that this movie existed. It came out around the time that I worked as an usher in a movie theater. Even then, at the tender age of 17, I realized what a steamy pile of crap this movie is. The acting is terrible, with Angus MacFadyen doing his worst impression of Eddie Izzard. Even the music is irritating. But what do you expect when you make a movie based on costumes you found lying around the set of Tank Girl? But I guess when four brothers write a movie about kung-fu kangaroos and all of them insist on having the 'M.D.' tag placed after their names, it's really hard to take the final product seriously. Hey, guys. Be doctors and let the writers write. I know I wouldn't want Akiva Goldsman taking my appendix out.

Finally, we come to Battlefield: Earth. This movie, in theory, should have been good. It has a decent sci-fi theme to it. Barry Pepper does his best to make the movie good but, in the end, it all falls down. The set up is hokey and unbelievable (humans degenerate into bush-people in a mere thousand years?) Battlefield: Earth also epitomizes the ideal that "the black man always dies." Ridiculous. Of course, what would you expect from L. Ron Hubbard, the author of Dianetics? This movie should be shown to anyone who takes Scientology seriously; if this doesn't make them see the fraud that Hubbard is, then they deserve to live segregated on some gated island and drink the Kool-Aid.

After that, I had had enough. Luckily Spider-Man came on and I was able to retain my sanity. It's reasons like this that I hate getting sick.

5/23/2009

Vampires in Spider-Man 4?

In a video interview on CHUD, Sam Raimi hints at the possibility of Morbius, the Living Vampire being the villian in Spider-Man 4. I am very excited at this possibility.

Spider-Man's rogue's gallery is so extensive that it seems strange they would pick Moribus over some of his other enemies, like the Lizard or Kraven the Hunter. But, if they do, it would certainly be a cool movie.

I like the idea of Michael Morbius being a friend of Peter Parker, working together at ESU, until a lab accident changes Morbius into the living vampire, and Spider-Man is the only one who can stop him. Even though the "friends-become-enemies" thing was done with Peter and Harry in Spider-Man 3, I feel that Sam Raimi can add much more depth to this and make it feel original.

I just hope that the reason they are putting a vampire into the movie isn't to play on the popularity of the Twilight series. As I despire Twilight and all of it's sequels, I don't think Spider-Man, as a property, needs to tap into this market. Like I stated earlier, Spider-Man has so many enemies, so if they are only trying to play up to the current popularity of vampires, then you can count me out. I would rather them pit Spider-Man against the Spot (which, come to think of it, would be pretty cool.)

Although, I would love to see Spider-Man kick the shit out of Edward Cullen...

5/22/2009

Thinking about going to MoCCA Fest.

If you are into comics and art which, clearly, I am, mark your calendars for June 6th and 7th. The 2009 MoCCA Festival will be held on these two days and I'm considering going. I have heard lots of good stuff about these comic fests, and there will be many people in the comics industry there, selling original art and answering questions.

By why am I only considering going? You see, I will be going to Wizard World Philly again this year, so I need as much cash as possible for that. If I go to the MoCCA Fest, first I have to spend $20 for a train, then $10 for admission. I know I'm gonna have to eat at some point in the day, maybe even twice, so that will be close to $40. And I'll definitely have to buy something, and who knows how much that would be.

I really would like to go. I think it would help to cement my decision if I knew who was going to appear. There is a list of creators scheduled to be there, but none of them really tickle my fancy, with the exception of Al Jaffee and Adrian Tomine. And for some reason, DC will be appearing but not Marvel. What's up with that?

Anyway, if you are in the New York area during the first weekend in June, swing by Lexington Avenue and 25th Street. Seriously, a ten dollar admission for what will likely be a great festival is not bad at all. But I'm just thinking I need to save for Philly.

But who knows? I could change my mind. Looking at the list of exhibitors, it might be a good chance to network and meet some people. Neither my art nor my writing is at the point to be working with many of these companies, but I can always collect business cards to have an address to send shit to down the road. And I can aways ask for advice from some of the artists and writers, such as tips for ideas and any resources they may know of.

Yeah, maybe going to MoCCA would be a good thing.

5/21/2009

Michael Vick released from prison.

Lock up your dogs, everyone! The most detestable player to come from the NFL was released from prison yesterday.

Michael Vick, who made headlines almost two years ago when it was discovered that he was bankrolling backyard dogfights andillegal gambling, was released from prison and is under house arrest for the next two months. Right now, the question everyone is asking is will be be allowed to play football again?

Completely unimportant. The true question is 'should he be allowed to play football again?

Michael Vick admitted to bankrolling these dogfights. He admitted his guilt to a crime and spent 19 months in jail for it. His contract with the NFL has been cancelled, as well as all endorsements he may have had. He has become a disgusting blight on our society. Yet, I still feel that he hasn't suffered enough.

Michael Vick, whether for good or bad, was a role model to our children. At 27 years old, he had a $130 million contract and was living the life that most of America could only dream of. And he threw it away. For what? To watch dogs maul themselves to death? The original indictment alleged that Vick had knowledge of everything that occurred in his home in Virginia, and he even took part in the execution of the dogs that didn't fight well.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has a lot on his plate with the decision of whether to reinstate Michael Vick or not. But, in my opinion, the decision is not a difficult one. He does not deserve to play football professionally again. In any capacity.

As part of his probation, Vick will be working a construction job with a private company making $10 an hour. All I have to say is, good. He doesn't deserve the fame or the fortune. Despite what people say, he doesn't even deserve a second chance. He fucked up big time and now he has to pay the consequences, just like he paid off all of those losing bets.

Congratulations, Michael. You managed to go from NFL Superstar to reviled ex-athlete is just under 2 years. I hope those dogfights were worth it, you scumbag.

5/20/2009

'Ghostbusters 3' a definite possibility.

It may have been 20 years in the making, but Dan Aykroyd says that Ghostbusters 3 is moving forward.

The LA Times posted a quick snippet from an interview with Aykroyd, in which he talks about the hold-up in production, a possible director, and new team members.

Apparently, one of the reasons the movie took so long to get moving is because of Bill Murray. Though he doesn't go into details about Murray's stance on the project, Aykroyd does say that he is on board now and ready to go with filming.

As far as the director, of course the most likely candidate is Ivan Reitman. After all, he did direct the first two movies. His vision would just complete the trifecta. But, barring that, Aykroyd says that Harold Ramis is willing to take the reigns. This is a change I am definitely cool with. Groundhog Day is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen, so I agree with Ramis' vision. He makes some good movies.

Aykroyd also talks about some new faces of the Ghostbusters. He mentions a few names, like Alyssa Milano and Eliza Dushku, both of whom I give a thumbs-up to. I would like to see a few girl-busters; it's been a boy's club for quite a long time. (Maybe 'women's intuition' could work better than the PKE meters.) And both Alyssa and Eliza do have some decent comedic chops. Even though Alyssa's background is in television sit-coms, I can see her handling a role as a Ghostbuster. And Eliza Dushku just kicks ass. Her time on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer shows that she can handle action and Bring It On showed her comedic side. Both of these ladies would make great additions to the franchise.

What makes me most excited about this news is that Dan Aykroyd states that they may be ready to start filming this winter. If so, that would be awesome. Maybe the movie can even be released by the summer of 2010?

Fingers crossed.

5/19/2009

Just avoided a near catastrophe.

Having the day off always makes me want to grab my laptop, head to a Barnes and Noble or Panera, and do a little work. Why be cooped up in the house when I can get out, right? So, this is exactly what I did.

As I enter the Barnes and Noble, I realize that I left my cell phone in the car. I go out to get it and discover that I have a flat tire.

Just what I needed.

Dramatization.


I grab the donut and the jack from the truck and spend the next half hour changing the tire. Halfway through I realize that I am across the street from an auto body shop that I trust. After I get the donut on, I throw the flat in the trunk and drive over there, dreading the amount of a new tire.

I tell the guy the problem and he asks if I can leave the car. Sure, no problem. I'm literally two blocks from the Panera, so I leave him my key, grab my laptop and head out.

He calls me a little while later saying that there was a nail in the tire, they patched it up, and I'm ready to go.

I walk back to the shop and discover that I only have to pay $20 for the whole thing. No new tire. No hidden shop fees. Nothing.

I guess, in the end, I made a bigger deal about the whole thing than it actually was. But, with the way my life was going, I saw this as the topper on the cake. I was about to have a good day when I saw that flat. Just my life.

Anyway, I think I need to start thinking more positively. Never having done this, however, puts me at a major disadvantage. How does one think positive when very little positive happens in one's life?

This is my new challenge. I am going to change my attitude. It may take awhile, but what other choice do I have?

5/18/2009

'Thor' casting news.

In case you hadn't noticed, Marvel has been making some awesome movies as of late.

Following up hit movies like the 'Spider-Man' trilogy and 'Iron Man,' Marvel has put Thor on the shortlist to appear on the silver screen. And apparently, production is coming along swimmingly.

Kenneth Branagh has been tapped to direct the film, which I find odd. Yes, Mr. Branagh is an awesome actor, but can he direct? From what I read on Twitter, Joe Quesada trusts his vision, so I shall also, but I will proceed with caution.

Other big news is the casting of the movie's villain, Loki. A young bloke by the name of Tom Hiddleston has been chosen to play the half-brother trickster of the Thunder God. Looking at Mr. Hiddleston's IMDB page makes me realize how he was cast so quickly; he and Mr. Branagh did some work together on a television show called "Wallander." The direct trusts his skills. I'll trust them as well.

One other piece of news I've heard is the casting of Thor, but I'm not certain of it's validity. Chris Hemsworth's name, who played George Kirk in the new Star Trek movie, is being said to play the titular character. GeekTyrant has a write up about how he got the part, but the film is not listed on his IMDB page as it is on Branagh's and Hiddleston's. If this news is true, it has yet to be officially announced, so could change at any time. Like I said, I don't trust its validity, so I will wait until the official announcement.

Though they may or may not have cast a God of Thunder, Thor seems to be chugging away nicely. A director. A villain. Shit, it already has more than some completed films have had. I may not be a big fan of Thor, but I'm somewhat excited about this movie.

The Return of Cloak & Dagger

Twitter has never gotten me so excited as it did today.

A Tweet from Twitter brought this link to my attention. I cannot explain how awesome I think this is.

At first I was confused about why Cloak and Dagger, my favorite twosome in comic books, is teaming up with the X-Men. To my knowledge, neither of them is a mutant (I think Dagger may have been classified as one later in her existence, but I'm not sure.) So I did a little research on these "Dark X-Men" as they are being called.

Stop now if you want nothing spoiled.

The Dark X-Men are Norman Osbourne's answer to the X-Men. He and Emma Frost assemble a team of mutants (and Cloak and Dagger) to be his mutant team. From what I read on Wikipedia, the team consists of Emma Frost, Charles Xavier (so awesome), Cloak and Dagger, Namor, and Daken, Wolverine's son.

I'm really curious how this new team will be handled. The whole 'Dark Reign' thing isn't grabbing me like the previous mega-crossovers have, but I also wasn't feeling 'Secret Invasion' when it first came to fruition, even though I really got into it later on. I'm hoping that this 'Dark X-Men' thing really pulls me in, which, with Cloak and Dagger playing major roles, it most likely will.

I also completely respect Matt Fraction and his writing. Besides being a really weird guy, as his Twitter page can attest to, he has the same love for Cloak and Dagger that I do. Of all of the characters he could have used to round out his line-up of Dark X-Men, he chose C&D. So awesome.

The only bad news that this creates is that the Cloak and Dagger mini-series has been pushed back because of their involvement in Dark Reign. I guess in the end I win because though I may have to wait for the mini, I still get more Cloak and Dagger.

Hopefully, this brings the characters more exposure and sets them up for a big budget movie. That would rock.

5/16/2009

Angels and Demons: A Review

My girlfriend and I caught a late show of Angels and Demons last night. A few nights ago, we watched The DaVinci Code on DVD. I think, had we not revisited the past, I would have found Angels much more enjoyable.

It's not that I didn't like Angels. I thought it was very good, in fact. The suspense was fantastic. The action was awesome. Even they way they incorporated as much from the novel into the movie, and whatever they changed seemed to make much more sense was a great piece of movie making. But by the end of it, it just left me hollow.

I enjoyed the novel version of Angels and Demons much more than I enjoyed the novel of The DaVinci Code. Yet, somehow, that flip-flops when it comes to the films. I think that DaVinci the movie had a much more exciting plot to it, with more confusing and intelligent puzzles. Angels, on the other hand, had elements literally pointing Robert Langdon to the end. The fun of the novel was learning about the past members of the Illuminati, such as Galileo and sculptor Bernini. But all of that is absent from the film, and it just becomes a race to the end.

All in all, I liked Angels and Demons. I would watch it again on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Hell, I'll most likely even buy it on DVD, if not for the extras about the Illuminati. But were you to ask me which I preferred, I would have to side with The DaVinci Code.

5/15/2009

Walgreens teams up with Marvel for Exclusive Awesomeness

Apparently, Walgreens decided to do something right.

Recent news reports that the company has partnered with Marvel to create exclusive products.

Not much information is given in the article. I wonder what kinds of things they will make. Maybe some Hulk Allergy Medication? Spider-Man Bug Spray? Wolverine-themed Plastic Cutlery?

Either way, I'll buy it.

Google recreates Twitter, claims to redefine future

I found an interesting article on the 'net today. It's all about a gentleman who practically invented Google in two days single handedly, and now he is on his way to redefining the future of the Internet.

His "new invention," which he calls a system of "flowing, multi-person, real-time conversations" is, to me, a cheap copy of Twitter. I just signed up to take a look at FriendFeed and I have to say I'm not impressed.

Everything that is present in Twitter is somehow recreated in FriendFeed. Direct Messages, Replies (or as they refer to them, 'My Discussions'). One of the main differences is the ability to separate you friends into categories, either 'Personal' or 'Professional.' There is also the ability to CC your FriendFeed posts to Twitter, which, if you are using Twitter, is pretty senseless. Why the need to join something new?

FriendFeed also does away with the character limit that is present in Twitter. I have yet to form an opinion of this, because honestly, it could go either way. The positive side is that I have tried to write stuff that went over the 140 characters on Twitter in the past, and been slightly annoyed that I had to abbreviate some words, so not having a limit would have been helpful. The negative is why do you need so many characters? Twitter is touted as a "microblogging" website. If you wanted to write a blog, there are other ways to do that (as evidenced by what I am currently doing.)

Google has done a lot of good in the past. Their web search is the most popularly used, and has even become synonymous with searching for a topic online. Their AdSense program has allowed many people to create an extra stream of income, with little to no extra work on their own. Their G-Mail is, well, it's e-mail. Nothing too spectacular about that.

I think that Google just feels that since they are Google, they can shit gold. In the past, their ideas and inventions were the height of innovation, but now, it just seems like they are trying to cash in on what's popular, under the guise of changing the world.

Glad I'm not the only one..

The Marvel Pulse e-mail newsletter tends to include a survey about popular Marvel news and gathers the fans opinions of what is happening. Last week, they asked whose performance was the best in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This week, they sent out the results, and here they are:

Last week's results: Aside from Hugh Jackman's, whose performance did you like best in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"?
Liev Schreiber (Victor Creed/Sabretooth) ...33.0%
Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson/Deadpool) ...40.4%
will.i.am (John Wraith) ...2.8%
Taylor Kitsch (Remy LeBeau/Gambit) ...19.7%
Lynn Collins (Kayla Silverfox) ...4.2%

If you've read my blog, you know how much I hated Taylor Kitsch as Gambit in the film. This is vindicating to see that I wasn't alone in my assessment of his performance. Deadpool, had less screen time than Gambit, managed to beat the shit out of that Friday Night Lights putz.

Sweet revenge is so delicious.

5/14/2009

Angels and Demons

All day today felt like a Friday to me. Probably because I'm rarely off from work on Thursdays, so I just assumed that it was Friday. Luckily, I realized that tomorrow is in fact Friday, and that means movie day.

Angels and Demons hits theaters tomorrow and I cannot wait to see it. I read The DaVinci Code when it came out, and since then, I've been a fan of Dan Brown. To be honest, his writing is rather clunky, but the puzzles that he creates are amazing. The plot he weaves in DaVinci is inspired, and he makes the adventure more exciting with all of the mysteries that he works into the chase.

After reading DaVinci, I couldn't wait to read Angels. To be honest, I thought it was much better than DaVinci. I love the whole story about the Illuminati, the battle between science and religion, and the chase across Italy. And the way the book ended, I thought Dan Brown had the biggest set of balls in the writing world.

It's been a few years since I read Angels and Demons, so I don't remember the intricacies of the story that well. But that, to me, would be a good thing. I do remember how much I liked the story, so I'll be reliving it all over again.

If Angels is half as good as the film version of The DaVinci Code was, then I will be satisfied.

Whatever happened to 'Mystery Science Theater 3000'?

So I'm flipping through the channels today and MST3K: The Movie was on Starz. Having not seen an episode of this show in probably years, I decided to watch. Afterwards, I realized why I feel in love with this show when I was 10 years old.

The writing on MST3K was magnificent. The way they rip into those old, bad movies just made my sides hurt from laughing so hard. When this show went off the air was surely a day that went down in television infamy. I wondered whatever happened to it, so I decided to do a little Wikipedia-ing on the subject.

Reading that Wikipedia article, I'm a little pissed off that Joel felt he had to leave. How dare they try to take over his show from him, the guy that started it all? I never enjoyed the show as much after Joel left. Even though I thought Mike was funny, his humor felt too forced, and not as smooth as Joel. It seemed Joel had a more natural talent for comedy and delivery than Mike.

So it makes me happy that he went on to start Cinematic Titanic, a kind of new version of MST3K. What's awesome is that in addition to buying DVDs of their shows right from the site, they have also incorporated a live show, in which they riff on a movie in front of an audience. How awesome is that?

As I watched MST3K: The Movie, I thought it would be a great idea if they brought it back. (Who 'they' would be, however, I'm not at liberty to say.) They could rip on newer horrible movies, like The Shadow or Ishtar. But after reading about it on Wikipedia, I don't think it would be as good. Apparently, Mike and a couple of the guys created something "RiffTrax" where they riffed on a couple of B-movies, but also Transformers and Jurassic Park. So maybe updating MST3K wouldn't work as well as one might expect. But then again, Transformers and Jurassic Park are good, and completely undeserving of being torn apart. That might have something to do with it.

Anyway, I definitely need to watch this again. Luckily, Blockbuster On-line has twelve of the fourteen DVD volumes for me to rent. Each of these volumes has four discs each.

That's a lot of bad movies. I hope my eyes don't start bleeding.

5/12/2009

Dear Yahoo!,

Having used your products for about 12 years now, yours has become a name I've grown to trust. Search engines, news, and even weather; I spend quite a few hours a week on your website. But what I use the most is your e-mail. However, in the past few weeks, the level of trust is being severely strained.

I would like to ask you to stop selling my e-mail address.

I know what you are going to say. "As it states in the terms and conditions, your information is never sold." Bullshit. You have no problem putting my e-mail address on a list and trading that for cash. Sure, my personal information is kept safe, and I thank you for that. But my e-mail address... that shit is sold more than a Taiwanese hooker's pussy.

I have a feeling your next defense might be something like "technically, it isn't your e-mail address. We own it; we just let you use it."

OK. I'll concede that. But the name I use in my -mail address has been copyrighted by me, so therefore, by selling our e-mail address you are selling part of my property, and thus I think you owe me a little.

Now Yahoo, you might be asking how I figured this all out? It was quite easy. I spent hours one day going through the massive amounts of e-mail in my Inbox. There were so many solicitations for going to Medical School, Engineering School, even a new deck. What really got me was the ad to find the perfect bra. Now, I'm self-conscious about my weight as it is, but to imply that I have bitch tits was going too far.

See, all of this mail wouldn't have bothered me, if it had gone to my Junk Mail folder. But it went to my Inbox, which tells me that Yahoo allowed it to go there (most of this shit would have been filtered out by any half-way decent filter), and the reason that it was allowed was because a company greased Yahoo's palm.

So really. With the amount that you make on advertising on the million plus pages of your uber-site, you don't need the extra revenue by selling e-mail addresses. It does nothing but irritate your users. You have enough competition with all the other free e-mail providers out on the internet. Do we need a reason to go over to Hotmail?

Sincerely,

Wirth

5/10/2009

Crystal Head Vodka

A few months back, I was shopping in my local liquor store when I saw a cool, skull-shaped bottle containing a new vodka. Not being a fan of vodka, I passed it by, but I did admire the bottle's authentic shape. Just now, however, after passing a different liquor store, I noticed the name 'Dan Aykroyd' attached to a promotion of the very same vodka.

This intrigued me.

Was this the same Dan Aykroyd I knew of Ghostbusters fame? Or someone lucky enough to share the name of a movie star?

I Googled it, of course, and discovered the company website for Crystal Head Vodka.

The website is certainly interesting, featuring only a video of Dan and his explanation of the beverage, as well as the origins of the bottle. He describes the legend of the Crystal Skulls, on which Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is based, and the powers that they are said to contain.

Dan also explains the process in which both the bottle and the vodka are created.

Though what he doesn't explain is his reasoning for creating a new vodka. He says something along the lines of "enclosing joy in the form of a very pure alcoholic beverage." He states that they chose vodka because it is a challenging drink to make. Though I don't like vodka, I can respect his choice, even though I feel there are enough brands of vodka on the market as it is. I doubt the bottle would look as striking if it contained a brown whisky.

I think I need to get me a bottle. As I said, I don't drink vodka, but I doubt I would drink this anyway. Besides being a collector's item, the bottle is cool-looking enough for me to simply display on a shelf in my den.

Plus, I have no problem supporting Dan Aykroyd in whatever business ventures he undertakes.

New 'Avengers' cartoon coming soon.

Hot on the popularity of Spectacular Spider-Man and Wolverine and the X-Men' Marvel has put into production a new cartoon series titled Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

I have to say, I'm damn excited about this. I highly enjoy the new Spider-Man as well as Wolverine, so a new Avengers cartoon? Awesome.

Admittedly, I have yet to see 'Iron Man: Armored Adventures' but I plan to rectify that soon now that I have cable. But I'm disappointed that I have to wait until 2011 to see this series. I get that they are releasing the animation to coincide with a big box-office release, but I would like to see 'EMH' sooner than 2011. Why not release it alongside the Thor movie? Thor is in it, isn't he?

But knowing Marvel, they have a Thor cartoon in the works as well.

Another thing about the article that I read this on: it mentions a Black Panther cartoon coming soon. Could that mean that the Black Panther movie that has been 'in production' since the mid '90s finally be on it's way? Seriously, I think Wesley Snipes was talking about playing T-Challa before he was even cast as Blade. Now, ten years and a movie trilogy later, they still haven't even started Black Panther.

They need to get on that, especially now that Black Panther is more popular than he has ever been.

This is pretty cool.

As I was putzing around on YouTube today I came across this...



While I have a few issues with it, I have to say that I respect the undertaking. I have done a few stop motion animations in the past, and it's a damn difficult thing to do unless you have the right equipment. (It's also hard doing it by yourself, but it seems like they have a team of guys/girls working on it.) And being that they have used a cast of all action figures, with articulations that won't always do what you want them to, then this is a hell of a video. I really like the attempt at special effects.

Apparently, the guys who made this are working on a sequel. They say they are taking more time with it so that it looks better, with voice acting and everything. If so, then it should be a lot better and I'm a little excited about it.

5/08/2009

I hate having writers block...

Last night I decided to revisit my novel and get a little more written after taking too many months off from it. I open up Microsoft Word, ready my hands above the keyboard and...

I got nothing.

I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. From January to the middle of March, I averaged writing about a thousand words a day. But now I'm struggling with getting even ten words on the page.

Am I just not into the topic of my novel anymore? I don't think so. I still think it's pretty cool, but I just can't write anything.

Am I a shitty writer? Most likely. I've never really written anything of this length before, so I'm not used to dealing with the "block" as I will call it.

So what do I do?

Maybe I'll post a Tweet to C.B. Cebulski on Twitter and ask his advice on how he deals with these things.

Or maybe I'll just stare at the computer screen until something comes to me.

Hopefully this will subside soon.

5/07/2009

God bless YouTube.

I don't know what made me think about it but earlier today I told a co-worker that I missed the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, or G.L.O.W., from way back in 1986. After I had said this, Mister Co-Worker told me that he saw a few of the clips on YouTube.

How had I not thought of that?

I immediately rushed to a computer and called up the webpage. I typed "gorgeous ladies of wrestling" into the search box, and lo and behold, I was treated to a number of video clips featuring my treasured lady wrestlers.

I don't even know why I like this so much. After watching a couple of the clips I can tell how bad the production values are. Most of the time it looks like they are wrestling in a high school gym (which they probably are).

But I have such fond memories of the league. I used to watch it when I was six years old. I would wake up early on Saturday mornings and park my ass in front of the television. I was fixated on the girls in small clothing rolling around on the floor, pulling each other's hair.

I guess my fascination with women and wrestling should have been a portent of things to come.

I think YouTube my have ruined the memories for me, now that I am able to see the production for what it really is. But at least I can relive a portion of my childhood that I once thought was lost.

5/06/2009

E-Cigarette

Yesterday I purchased the Fifty-One e-cigarette from a kiosk in the mall. It was a bit pricey, but I had been eyeing one of these since I first heard about them a few months ago. I figure it would be a good way to help me cut down on smoking, and maybe eventually quit altogether.

It took a while after I got it home to try it out because I had to charge the battery. Once I did get it charged, I learned something... disheartening.

These things taste like shit.

The cartridges that came with the starter kit are really foul. It doesn't taste anything like cigarette smoke, which I suppose is a good thing because it's less harmful that cigarette smoke.

Luckily, I purchased a couple other cartridge flavors. I switched them out and tasted each one and it turns out the vanilla is quite good. I also got another one that has less nicotine than the others that doesn't taste too bad. I don't know if it's supposed to be menthol because it's colored green, but whatever it is it's definitely smokeable.

I'm glad that I discovered that there are flavors to these things that are tolerable, otherwise I would have been pissed that I spent that much money and I can't stand the taste of these things.

5/05/2009

Taylor Kitsch talks Gambit spin-off

After being rocketed to stardom by starring in what will be one of the highest grossing films of 2009, Taylor Kitsch truly believes that what he wants actually matters.

Kitsch says in an interview that in a Gambit movie spin-off, he would like to explore the relationship between his character and Rogue, who have a twisted, on-again-off-again love affair in the comics.

OK. I can get into that. It is a huge part of both characters.

Kitsch goes on to say that he would like to "see how he is with the women in the casino there, with the charm and the suave and the effortlessness it takes with him."

Let me get this straight... you want your character to be a whore?

It's strange how in thirty seconds time, Kitsch can go from having a great subplot idea for a Gambit spin-off, to making a porno flick. What's he going to call it, 'Gambit and the seX-Men'?

Wanna know what I would like to see in a Gambit film? No Taylor Kitsch.

Despite being the lowest point of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Kitsch is just a sub par actor. How he got the role to start with is beyond me. (Probably because Josh Holloway turned it down and Johnny Depp was busy with other things.)

Kitsch is talentless, pure and simple. I can overlook his presence in Wolverine because Gambit had no characterization in that movie. But if he were to star in a full-length Gambit film, it would be atrocious. He does not have what it takes to express the intricacies in Gambit. Despite what people think about the character, Gambit is deep and tortured, plagued by the guilt of the poor decisions he has made in the past.

Taylor Kitsch is nothing but a pretty face.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Gambit film, so long as the title character is recast.

The Punisher teams up with... Eminem?

There have been some strange team-ups in comic books in the past, such as when the X-Men teamed up with the crew of the Starship Enterprise, or anytime Howard the Duck makes an appearance in any book. And there have been plenty of times when real people make it into comics, like the recent appearances of Barrack Obama in a few Marvel mags. But this... this is just weird.

I have never been a fan of Eminem, with the exception of 20 minutes back in 1999. I think his entire career is so fake that it's laughable (you can't get any whiter with a name like "Marshall Mathers III"). The shit the he says on his albums is, to me, a joke, and he should not be applauded for his words or actions. I will, however, admit that he does have talent when it comes to freestyle.

So to see this crossover take place between a person whose act is so personally offensive and one of Marvel Comics most popular characters just makes my jaw drop.

When I first heard of this story, I groaned to myself. I asked "Why, Marvel? Why would you commit such an affront to me such as this?"

But after reading the article, I have to respect Marvel's decision. I never knew that Em was a fan of comics, and that his knowledge runs so deep. He knows things about the character of the Punisher that I do not even know (though I have never been a huge Punisher fan). They made a call based on a famous fan, and will probably open up a whole new market of readers in the process.

Good for them!

If you are interested in reading the story, you can pick up the June issue of XXL, which hits stands today. The second part of the story is available on Marvel.com's "Digital Comics" section, which can be found here.

This act has raised my respect level for Eminem a few notches. I still do not like his music, and I won't be attending any of his concerts anytime soon, but at least now I can see that we have something in common.

Even though I wish that commonality was our bank accounts.

5/04/2009

A letter to the Programming Directors of New York's Radio Stations...

Dear Sirs/Madams;

I have been listening to your radio station for (insert particular number) years and I enjoy the programming that you offer. I like hearing new songs from popular artists, although many times they all begin to sound the same and/or are played too often during the day. Your on-air personalities have the ability to make me laugh/cry/want to kill myself, which helps me to wake up every morning. However, I do have one request that may improve your organization/respectability.

Please stop playing Lady Gaga.

For quite some time now, "Just Dance" was a popular song. It has a catchy beat and the perfect lyrics for a dance club/mid 80's orgy. It has become very popular and because of this, you play it quite often.

Then along came "Poker Face." And I thought the lyrics to "Just Dance" were sexual...

Anyway, my point is you play these two songs far too much. It seems that every time I press any button on the radio in my car, one of these songs in playing. This is not only wrong, but wholly inappropriate.

Don't get me wrong. I like sexual debauchery as much as the next guy. When Gaga starts talking about her "muffin" and proclaims how she will get someone hard, that's just awesome. But the amount that you play this song is insulting. It's like you want me to remember this song, as if I could possibly forget.

Let me put it into an analogy for you. Imagine you just downloaded a twenety minute porn scene from the Internet. It has everything you like in your smut; threeways, anal, and a killer money shot. It's exciting to watch the first couple of times, right? But after about ten or fifteen viewings, it loses its spankabilty, thus causing you to look for new porn to masturbate to.

This is how I feel about Lady Gaga. (In the analogy, Lady Gaga is the porn, and the song is the money shot, in case you didn't get it.) These two songs were fun to listen to the first, I don't know, three hundred times. But now, I want to shoot myself in the face from their overexposure.

Help clean up the airwaves and erase these songs, and this artist in general, from your playlist. I am sure there are other singers/performers who are more than willing to portray themselves as/be sluts for whatever amount of money/marijuana/cocaine they can get. There are plenty of places you can go to find new talent/vagina.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
The Radio Listeners of America (Or RLA for short)

5/02/2009

Free Comic Book Day

You may have been aware that today was Free Comic Book Day. I believe this is the seventh or eighth year that the industry has been celebrating the holiday and little by little the event gets more successful.

When I tell people about Free Comic Book Day, they usually respond with "They give away comics?" They sure do. The comics that they give away are specially printed, displaying the FCBD logo on the cover. Sometimes they are re-prints of stories, sometimes it new stuff. But each one is absolutely free. You just walk into any comic shop and grab one. Some comic shops even let you take one of each.

You can get more information on FCBD here. What I like about FCBD is that Marvel tends to promote the event by releasing a movie the day before. Yesterday, X-Men Origins: Wolverine hit theaters. Last year it was Iron Man. The year before that, Spider-Man 3. Marvel knows how to tie their shit together I tell you.

Sadly, I am giving you this information for you to take part in the festivities. But you can mark your calendar for next year. FCBD always happens on the first Saturday in May, the day after a huge Marvel blockbuster movie hits the theaters. Make sure you check it out. No purchase necessary.

Also, if anyone did take part, have you noticed that a couple of Marvel's comics were smaller than usual? Are they trying to conserve paper? If so, that's cool with me. They do so much for the industry and the books are free anyway. Let them do what they need to. I'll support them either way.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine review

Last night we caught a 10:15 showing of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. After the film, I left the theater with a sense of satisfaction at the newest installment of the X-Men movie franchise.

Though I was not happy with all aspects of the film, the majority of it was great. Hugh Jackman, once again, does his best work as the ol' Canucklehead. You can tell that he really gets into the role and enjoys playing the character because he really brings depth to Wolverine.

Liev Schreiber also did a fantastic job as Wolverine's psychotic half-brother, Victor Creed. When I first heard that he was given the role of Sabretooth, my stomach churned a little. I was never fond of Liev as an actor, so I couldn't imagine him putting much into the character. As of last night, I have eaten my words. The boy sure has come a long way from his Cotton Weary days.

The story itself was solid. One of the issues I had was wondering how they would manage to bring out the animal in Logan. The past three X-Men films have shown that Wolverine is capable of caring for others, despite his savage outbursts. Knowing that Wolverine has a heart, how could they bring out the beast. Well, they managed to do it, and in a believable way.
However, I do have a few complaints about the movie. For starters, Gambit was useless. He was merely used as a plot device/Deus-Ex-Machina that could have easily been rewritten and become less annoying. Taylor Kitsch played the part of the poor man's Johnny Depp, without the acting skills. He couldn't even handle a Louisiana accent for the twenty minutes of screen time he received. Completely useless. (At least the made his eyes glow red.)

Another gripe I have is that there was entirely too many mutants. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy a big mutant party as much as the next guy. But having so many mutants means that their characterization gets half-assed. For instance, I would have liked to see more of Dominic Monaghan's character, but I can understand the need for cannon fodder. I can only see two reasons for the inclusion of the Blob; the first being a single plot device and the second reason being comedy relief. Other than that, he was needless.

On the other hand, Ryan Reynolds suffered from lack of screen time in his role as Wade Wilson. Reynolds was a perfect fit for "The Merc With A Mouth," yet he made about two jokes and had one good scene. What the hell, people?

I was also surprised that the scenes with Cyclops didn't annoy me as much as I expected. In fact, I enjoyed the way that subplot worked out. Though I would have liked to see more of Emma and her diamond-hardness. I hope Marvel decides to explore that character in the future.

All in all, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a fun film and a great way to kick off the summer movie season of 2009. The amount of artistic freedom the writers and director took was enough to make the movie work, without destroying the nuances of Wolverine's past. The good definitely overshadows the bad, and for this reason, I gave X-Men Origins: Wolverine three claws.


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